Soto Communications Writing Services - ResumeLance Blog

How to Find Hidden Accomplishments; It's Like an Easter Egg Hunt

2012-03-27T12:03:29-04:00

I really didn't grow up doing the Easter egg hunt thing, but my wife did. And, every year, she dresses up our children in their "Sunday Best" for church. Later in the day, their outfits become a "Sunday Mess" after they finish rummaging through dirt and grass to find colorful plastic eggs in the backyard. They peek behind trees and bushes, and get on their knees to look under the bench. It is clear that their motto is, “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

My son and daughter don’t mind as they know that the plastic eggs are really containers of joy filled with chocolate and candy. Once they've gathered enough eggs to fill their baskets, they get to open the eggs and eat what’s inside. For the kids, it's like finding gold!

Similarly, when working on your resume, you need to dig through the archives of your career to find hidden gems - accomplishments.

Whether you believe it or not, you can find quantifiable or measurable accomplishments to include in your resume. You need to in order to further distinguish yourself from other job candidates vying for the same job you are targeting. To find accomplishments, you just have to do a little research and view your career from a different perspective.

I remember working with a client who was adamant that he had no measurable accomplishments. After asking him a few questions, I soon found out that he remained employed with a company who had downsized their workforce. Many of his colleagues were let go, but the company found value in keeping him.

The fact that he was selected to remain on-board was an accomplishment in itself, but now he was doing the jobs of 2 other people with the help of new technology which the company implemented. It was clear that he saved the company money. So we added the salaries of the others who were let go and calculated that he had saved the company a little over $100K because he was now doing the jobs of 2 people.

Add the fact that he learned how to use the new technology quickly, and now he had 2 accomplishments - one which was quantifiable and the other which wasn’t, but was equally impressive nonetheless as it showed his ability to adapt.

As a job seeker, you need to walk through your career history and do this kind of brainstorming in order to find accomplishments. It's about looking at your career from different perspectives. Where some areas seem to lead to nowhere, other paths may prove fruitful – follow them.

Digging for accomplishments may not be as fun as digging for colorful plastic eggs with candy inside, but in the end, the satisfaction of having a high-impact resume is worth the effort.

Positioning Yourself for a Career Transition

2012-03-16T12:52:12-04:00

You've fallen out of love with your job and now you want to do something new. You are not alone. These days, most people don't pursue new fields because of the tough job market. Considerations which keep people unhappily employed in their current jobs mainly involve stability and finances. A move to a new career may mean having to take a pay cut, and for some, this is too difficult. For others, stability is better than change, even if it means continual days of blah, boredom, and unfulfillment.

You, however, aren't afraid of these challenges and you welcome them with ferver. You just don't know if you have the qualifications to enter a new field because your career has been focused on one area for such a long time. Well, you have something called "transferable skills," and they can help you get the job of your dreams if you just present them correctly in your resume.

Here's what you should do to position your resume for a career transition:

Identify your most desirable qualifications which are most relevant to the types of jobs you want to target. For example, if you're a purchasing professional who wants to get into sales, you probably have strong insights about the sales process. Afterall, as the person who is buying things for your organization, you get a lot of sales pitches. Thus, you have unique perspectives on what makes a strong sales presentation. Additionally, since your focus is on making sure your organization's bottomline is solid, you regularly negotiate prices with vendors and then present quotes to senior managers with signing authority. This means that you have to "sell" your managers on buying something you negotiated. If this is you, what you need to do is focus on your relationship building, negotiations, and presentation skills, as well your ability to gain senior-level management buy-in; these are your transferable skills.
Once you have come up with your transferable skills, write them down. They should be used as the foundaton for the development of your resume. Essentially, they will serve a useful purpose in keyword searches in applicant tracking systems.
Think about instances in your career where you have had to adapt to change, whether drastic or minimal. Perhaps you remained on-board with your current employer after they were bought out by another company. Or, you got a new boss. Then indicate in your resume how were successful in transitioning amidst the change. This will demonstrate that you're not a novice when it comes to taking on new challenges.
Finally, be sure to state in your qualifications summary that you are looking to transition into a new career, making it clear for the reader that you are looking to move.

When you send your materials for a particular job use a cover letter that emphasizes your passion for the industry. The narrative nature of the letter enables you to freely express your motivation, enthusiasm, and passion for your decision to move to a new career, while highlighting how all of your qualifications will benefit the target employers' business.

Focus on the "What" Rather Than the "How"

2011-12-08T13:01:17-05:00

The main purpose of the Selected Highlights or Achievements sections in your resume is to display your measurable accomplishments clearly and cleanly. You want to make a hiring manager curious enough to find out more through an interview. Selected Highlights or Achievements sections are supposed to generate inquiry, and helps to fulfill the purpose of the resume, which is to trigger a call to action.

Good responses from hiring managers include:

"Wow, I can clearly see what this candidate has done for their past employers. I need to bring this candidate in for an interview"
"The stats are impressive, but I need to learn more. I'm not too convinced yet, I need to know how they did these things. I want to find out."
"Did this candidate really do all this? I need to find out the truth. I am going to schedule a call with the candidate."

Of course, there are many more responses that could occur, but in the end what's most important is that you get the call and land that opportunity to speak with the decision-maker.

Remember, with your resume, you are demonstrating that you are proven performer, and because numbers don't lie, the best way to do so is to section off those accomplishments that include metrics, so that they are clearly visible.

To minimize "questions," you can provide brief detail on the "how." For example, one bullet can read, "Achieved $6 million in revenue within 1 year, representing a 150% increase over the prior year." This is a great stat, but the question from a hiring manager may be "how?"

You can provide that information, but remember, resumes are reviewed initially within 30 seconds by HR and hiring managers, so too much detail may actually be a detriment to the success of your resume. Achieving a balance to effectively present "what you did" and "how you did it" can be a challenge. I would err on the side of focusing more on the "what" (i.e. numbers / metrics), than the "how."

Addressing Unemployment Gaps in Resumes

2011-11-15T12:44:51-05:00

Here's the bad news first. The longer you've been out of work, the harder it is to get a job. Unfortunately, some employers won't consider candidates that haven't worked since 2010 or earlier. As unfair as this may be, there is good news. There are ways to minimize focus on unemployment gaps to greatly improve your chances of getting called for an interview.

If you are one of the many long-term unemployed, here's what you need to do to maximize the visibility of your resume among target employers.

Re-organize Your Resume: Think of your resume as your loud speaker where you announce your availability to work. Together with this announcement though, you are presenting the chronology of your career experiences. This means that if you are a long-term unemployed professional, the traditional resume layout will bring focus to the gap since your last job. By re-organizing your resume to highlight your accomplishments, rather than your career history, you show employers the value you bring as a candidate. Here's what you need to do:

Include a brief introduction of yourself and your career before going into detail about your work history. Known as your "Summary of Qualifications," a well-written introduction usually includes information about your skills and experiences, as well as professional attributes.
Identify 1 or 2 of your most impressive accomplishments, whether you increased sales 200% or were named "Employee of the Month" on multiple occasions. Incorporate these accomplishments into your introductory statement.
Create a special section before your Work History called "Selected Career Achievements." All items listed under this section need to be in bullet form. Only include measurable accomplishments here. In other words, if you don't have metrics that prove you've excelled in your past jobs, then you need to get them. Each bullet should begin with a strong verb. For instance, if you helped your company save $150,000, then your bullet should start something like, "Played a pivotal role in saving the company $150,000..." Then, briefly explain how you did it.

Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer. If you are not sick of hearing the word "volunteer" yet, chances are that you haven't been unemployed for too long. That's because most experts recommend that you spend time doing something at an organization to fill the unemployment gap. I agree, but only if you are actually using the skills and experiences that you plan to use in your next job. In other words, if you are good at streamlining processes, then volunteer at an organization where you can help to improve the way they do things. This way, you'll have a fresh, relevant accomplishment to include in your resume.

Market Yourself as a Consultant. You have the skills and experiences that someone can use right away, but you need to get the word out. Your resume is useful for job applications, but also to market yourself as a Consultant. By taking on a few pro-bono gigs, you can fill the unemployment gap in your resume. This way, instead of having your work history in your resume ending in 2010, you can now include your experience as a Consultant from 2010 - Present. You can scan Craigslist or visit the websites of non-profits to find these opportunities. Who knows, after a few pro-bono projects under your belt, you may be able to launch a new career as a Consultant and start charging fees.

If you are among the long-term unemployed, you face the challenge of showing that your skills are still relevant. The goal is to eliminate the visual gap on the piece of paper we call the resume, as this document is usually your first introduction to a potential employer. By following the tips above, you improve your chances of showing potential employers that you're ready to deliver value to their companies.

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

2011-11-11T15:03:48-05:00

If you’re currently employed, congratulations! If you enjoy your position and want to remain in the career you are in now, kudos for you! I wish you the best of luck and longevity in your job.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that while you’re happily executing your daily responsibilities that you come across the opportunity of your dreams on a random website (not that you’re searching for jobs at work, right?). The ad says that you have until next week to send your resume to be considered for the role. You know you’re perfect for the job, but when you review your 3 year old resume, you realize that it won’t capture the attention of any hiring manager. If only you had more time.You realize too late that you should have done a better job in updating your resume on a regular basis, and now your dream job has faded away.

Now, here’s another scenario for you those of you who love your job so much. What if the unthinkable happens; like your employer closing its doors without notice. Businesses of all sizes are having a tough time these days and competitors lurk in shadows waiting to buy companies in their market. In either case, good employees such as you can lose their jobs. I always found it unfair that as employees, we need to give two weeks notice if we decide to move to another job, but if a company decides to let you go, they can do so at the drop of a dime.

Without a strong, updated resume at hand, your chances of landing interviews are delayed, or worse, eliminated.

Both of these scenarios are unfortunate, but they shouldn’t be the only reasons why you should update your resume regularly. A few other examples of why you should have an updated resume at all times, includes to:

Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory.
Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.

Think of your resume as an insurance policy for your career. If something happens, you have it within reach to help you get back on your feet. So, if you're a happy camper with your job, you should still get your resume updated regularly.

Planting the Seed to Find Hidden Opportunities - It's About Being Proactive

2011-11-11T15:02:48-05:00

When you look through the job boards, there is a chance that you don't see opportunities that necessarily fit your qualifications or style. This can be frustrating to some, especially a job seeker who has been unemployed for some time.

There are opportunities out there - hidden gems - you just need to dig for them. You may not be able to identify them right away by just looking through the job boards, so you need to be proactive and seek them out.

The first step is to maintain a positive outlook - without this, you won't have the energy or motivation to go forward in trying to find opportunities.

Next, to be most effective in a job search, you have to:

Determine what the ideal role is for you.
Do your research and see which industries and organizations are good targets to help you achieve your goal.
Figure out where you are willing to work, geographically

The idea is to create an opportunity that is a right fit for you. Don't limit yourself by just looking through open positions on the job boards.

Third, create high-impact resume materials that are easy to tailor and send out. For example, most applications take place electronically these days, so there really isn't a need to include the employer's mail address on the cover letter. While the formality may be nice and neat, the time it takes to either build a database of names and addresses, or individually type them on every single cover letter, slows you down.

A very important next step is to get the names of the decision makers in organizations that could provide you with a role that you are seeking to fill. This is tough because gatekeepers have been trained well to not let unfamiliar people through, especially in large companies. But, there are other ways to get the names you need if calling directly into companies doesn't work.

Get access to industry-specific trade show and conference program brochures to get the names of the presenters; they might be decision-makers.
Visit corporate websites and read through press releases to see who was quoted; usually these are senior managers in companies who are experts at something, and most likely team leaders.
Go directly to the "Corporate Info" or "About Us" pages to find names. Most times the executives listed on these pages are in the upper echelons of organizations, and getting access to them is nearly impossible. But, hey, if you're up for a challenge, go for it.
Join an association or trade group. Note that memberships to these organizations usually aren't free, but building your network is always worth it.

The last step is to reach out to the decision-makers by phone. Follow up with sending them your resume materials the same day. You need to be sure to get their contact information first.

Note that organizations are going to need someone eventually; if not later, then right now. You might as well get the ball rolling and let them know you're ready to work for them before they even know that they need you. It may result in a part-time, consulting, or even full-time role - you just never know unless you try.

What it boils down to is that it is your job to initiate and engage decision-makers, introduce yourself, and then build a relationship. Nothing may come to fruition right away, but by planting the seed, who knows, several months later your fledgling relationship with a hiring manager you contacted may blossom into a new job.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today

2011-09-20T00:24:17-04:00

You're an ace, you're rocking this interview. Then, the question many interviewees dread is asked, "What is your greatest weakness?" Things are not looking so great right about now. The success of this interview hinges on your answer. It's probably a dumb question, but it gets asked anyway so you need to respond.

There are the typical brainless answers like "I'm a perfectionist" or "I work too hard." Give me a break! Do you think the interviewer is going to believe that is your weakness? Of course not! Why? Because those aren't weaknesses. Who doesn't want a hard-working perfectionist on their team?

There really isn't a right answer to the question, so you might as well be honest and tell them your weakness. Just make sure what you reveal doesn't have anything to do with the job you're applying for.

Consider using humor. For example, cheeseburgers are one of my weaknesses. Like Wimpy (and, I know I'm aging myself again) I can't have enough of them.

The following is a completely made up scenario, but one which can help you figure out how to answer the question using humor.

"That's great. I just have one final question for you. What is your greatest weakness?" asks The Interviewer.

After a few seconds of thought, The Interviewee responds, "Cheeseburgers!

Surprised at the answer, the Interviewer giggles. Soon thereafter, The Interviewee adds, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Remembering seeing Popeye as a child, the Interviewer's giggle turns into a full blown laugh.

If this scenario were to occur as scripted, the topic would most likely be dropped. You've aced the interview, plus the person interviewing you may think you're funny. And as long as you're not a clown, funny is good.

Are you clumsy and fearful of escalators? Are you an extreme fanatic of "The Office?" Does your grandmother have a better right hook than you?

Whatever your weakness is, admit to it, humorously. But please (and I believe I speak for a lot of recruiters), don't ever give fake answers indicating that you're a workaholic, too detail-oriented, or annoyingly organized - nobody is going to believe you.

FIND HIDDEN JOB OPPORTUNITIES BY BEING PROACTIVE

2011-09-16T11:26:25-04:00

There are opportunities out there – hidden gems – you just need to dig for them.

Is your resume a hot mess?

2011-09-14T18:45:32-04:00

What if resumes were people? Think about it. You might as well call your resume a person, as it is YOU on paper. Your resume is like your first introduction to a decision-maker. Now that my infallible logic is clear, let’s say your resume is a hot mess.

Let’s keep it clean – a hot mess is not always a derogatory term, so no need to send your children away to read the rest of this article. Among its definitions, the urbanite term is used to describe a person whose thoughts are in disarray, while maintaining an air of attractiveness – easy on the eyes, but confusing to the brain. If your current resume is a hot mess, it’s time to give it some thoughtfulness.

This is what you want to happen: a hiring manager to pick up your resume and not only think it’s pretty, but also smart – a resume they’d be proud to bring home to Momma, or their boss.

To make your resume outshine others, you need to figure out what you want to do first. What kind of jobs are you looking for? Why are you a match for that kind of job? Then, do some research. Go on the job boards and find actual jobs you think you’re perfect for. After reading through some of your favorite ones, see if your resume has some of the keywords that are in the job ads you’ve identified. Take note of those keywords that need to be in your resume.

If any of those keywords don’t make any sense to you or they just sound nice, I’d advise that you don’t include them in your resume. Imagine being asked during the interview about that big, impressive term and fumbling through your words trying to elaborate on how it relates to your experiences. Now think of how compromised (cheap) you’ll feel after your meeting abruptly ended within a few minutes with no promise of a future call.

Now that you have your keywords, I guess you can take the easy way out and just dump them into a section in the resume and hope the candidate tracking software used by employers picks up on them. They will, but when the employer sits down with the resume (let’s say under candlelight to set the mood) to see what it says about you, the attraction is gone after realizing that it’s just a hot mess. Coldly without care of your resume’s feelings, the employer moves onto another potential match – one with visual appeal and lots of character and brains.

This is not to say that that you don’t have any brains, but if your resume doesn’t really say much about you, then a busy hiring manager just won’t take the time to see if there is more behind the pretty resume.

Dumping keywords in a special section doesn’t show how they are relevant to your career. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for a keyword section in a resume because it does help with electronic screening employed by many companies today. But, eventually a person is going to read your resume to find out if you truly are a match for their company.

If you throw keywords in your resume hoping to show that you’re a good catch without really knowing what the words actually mean, then that awkward moment you wish to forget about can be relived. You know – like the time you nodded in agreement to something someone said among friends without really knowing what he or she was talking about; then being asked what your thoughts were on the topic.

It’s time you put some bones to the keywords you use in your resume and show potential employers why you put them in your resume in the first place. It’ll take some planning, but think about how your selected keywords need to be placed within the content of the resume itself, not just the keyword section.

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

2011-07-26T21:56:15-04:00

If you’re currently employed, congratulations! If you enjoy your position and want to remain in the career you are in now, kudos for you! I wish you the best of luck and longevity in your job.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that while you’re happily executing your daily responsibilities that you come across the opportunity of your dreams on a random website (not that you’re searching for jobs at work, right?). The ad says that you have until next week to send your resume to be considered for the role. You know you’re perfect for the job, but when you review your 3 year old resume, you realize that it won’t capture the attention of any hiring manager. If only you had more time.
You realize too late that you should have done a better job in updating your resume on a regular basis, and now your dream job has faded away.

Now, here’s another scenario for you those of you who love your job so much. What if the unthinkable happens; like your employer closing its doors without notice. Businesses of all sizes are having a tough time these days and competitors lurk in shadows waiting to buy companies in their market. In either case, good employees such as you can lose their jobs. I always found it unfair that as employees, we need to give two weeks notice if we decide to move to another job, but if a company decides to let you go, they can do so at the drop of a dime.

Without a strong, updated resume at hand, your chances of landing interviews are delayed, or worse, eliminated.

Both of these scenarios are unfortunate, but they shouldn’t be the only reasons why you should update your resume regularly. A few other examples of why you should have an updated resume at all times, includes to:

Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory.
Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.

Interviews Guaranteed!!! (Ummm Really?)

2011-07-07T13:59:36-04:00

Oh, how we all love a sure thing; a secure net to catch us as we dig into our wallets and jump into a big purchase! There are resume writing companies that promise that their resumes will get you interviews; in fact they guarantee it. However, there are no guarantees in life; especially in the current employment market.

Legitimate professional resume writing services use best practices and proven methods of resume writing to enhance the visual appeal, organization, and content of resumes, so that hiring managers can see upfront what a candidate brings to the table. The goal is to get your resume on the top of the pile; ahead of hundreds of others. In order to achieve this, resumes need to be:

Accurate. Nothing will turn a hiring manager off more than a resume full of inconsistencies and untruths. Believe it or not, hiring managers have a knack for telling what a blatant exaggeration is.
Clear. Be straightforward. Use plain English. However, don't be afraid to state what you've achieved in your career and be sure this information is easy to see.
Compelling. The resume is your personal marketing piece. The hiring manager doesn't know anything about you prior to reading your resume, so the document must grab their attention. Use descriptive adjectives and powerful verbs, but watch out for overkill. Don't oversell.
Unique. Some resume writing services like to re-use content for different customers. "How can this be?" you ask. "I'm different. I'm not a cookie cutter candidate." EXACTLY. Your resume's content should be as unique as you are - no exceptions.

Keep these points in mind when considering a resume writing service. Can they guarantee that the resume they create for you will be accurate, clear, compelling, and unique? If they can't guarantee these basic fundamentals of a good resume, they surely can't guarantee that you'll get interviews.

Come to think about it, really ... who can guarantee interviews? There isn't a magic potion that will force a hiring manager to drop everything in order to call you for an interview upon reading your resume.

The best your resume can do is to make it easy for the decision-maker to know exactly what your qualifications are. Your strong resume, combined with a whole host of factors, including your proactive approach to the job search, will improve your chances of getting a call for an interview; but no guarantees.

Why Hire a Professional Resume Writing Service?

2011-07-07T13:42:42-04:00

You know that your resume is critical to how successfully you market yourself to potential employers. So, you're considering hiring a Professional Resume Writing Service.

Think of it this way: if you owned a retail business, would you try to do your own marketing and advertising, or would you hire a professional who specializes in retail marketing? Chances are, you would do the latter.

The same applies to resumes. As with every field, there are experts. With nearly 10 years in the recruitment/career services industry and 6 years of resume writing and management experience at some of the larger resume writing firms out there, I can say that the art of resume writing is my bailiwick; my area of expertise.

But "perfect" resumes are like mythological creatures - no one has seen one yet. Realistically what you want is a strong resume that presents your skills and abilities in an optimally organized fashion, mixed with compelling and truthful content that summarizes your career in a page or two. This can be achieved with the help of a Professional Resume Writing Service, but remember, there is no magic bullet to get interviews. Resumes don't get interviews, people do.

With your resume, you are marketing yourself to potential hiring managers. You can write your own resume and leave your career marketing to chance, or you can hire a Professional Resume Writing Service firm like ResumeLance.com to do it for you, so that you can focus on searching for jobs, applying for open positions, connecting with others through networking, and following up on the status or your job applications using a combination of phone and email communications.

Case Study: Telco Technician with a Military Background

2011-05-15T22:44:52-04:00

Job Seeker Profile:

After nearly 5 years of telecommunications (fiber optic and copper cabling) experience in the military, Harold now seeks to target civilian jobs.

The Challenge:

Harold realizes that he lacks exposure to the business world, but is confident that the discipline and technical training that he obtained in the military can add value to a telco company. He did not go to college. During his military service, he took courses and received on-the-job training in fiber optics, cabling, equipment installation and electrical wiring. However, the fact that he doesn’t have a college degree can be troublesome to some employers. Harold is focused on overcoming this challenge.

The Solution:

He creates a section in his resume that highlights all of his technical skills. This section follows an introductory summary where he places emphasis on his demonstrated ability to deliver timely projects and make sound decisions within challenging work settings. Before the Professional Experience section of the resume, he includes a Selected Contributions area consisting of 4 bullet points. The bullets provide specific examples of when he was selected by his superiors to lead major tasks because they trusted that he would perform well. Lastly, with only 5 years of experience, he determines that the best way to present his career is to keep the resume to one page in length.

Hidden Value Propositions:

The fact that he served in the military and managed key iniatiatives, while taking technical coursework demonstrates his ability to multi-task. Also, it shows the hiring manager that he is dedicated to improving himself and willing to learn new things.

Numbers Don’t Lie

2010-09-30T00:17:20-04:00

Employers are receiving thousands of resumes every day and yours needs to stand out among all others. If you ask most hiring managers what they want to see in a resume, they’ll tell you accomplishments, especially those that can be quantified. Numbers or metrics paint a clearer picture of value much quicker than words do. The type of numbers that impress hiring managers will vary according to the field you are in, but generally, what hiring managers want to know is how you can impact the growth of the business. Only numbers can back up your claims, so it’s best to include them in your resume.

If you’re in sales, hiring managers in your field want to see by what percentage you surpassed your quota, how much new revenue you generated for your employer, and where you ranked among your peers, among other data. These statistics are important for hiring managers seeking top sales talent because they want to bring in a proven performer that can deliver immediate impact.

A close partner to the sales function, the marketing department impacts revenue growth by facilitating lead generation, maximizing market visibility, and supporting sales through development of communications and collateral. Therefore, it is appropriate for a marketing professional to reveal the percentage or amount of sales or revenue growth achieved as a result of their marketing strategies and campaigns.

Operations professionals are challenged with meeting bottom-line objectives by balancing resources, business goals, and costs in order to ensure business is continuous and productive. Hiring managers seeking their next Operations Managers want to see the amount of money saved for their employers and profitability gains.

Simply stating something like, “revamped entire department in support of senior management objectives” just won’t cut it. That’s not an accomplishment, it is a task. An accomplishment would include an actual number and will read something like, “Delivered over $50,000 in cost savings and improved productivity 25% by restructuring the department and modernizing systems for streamlined business processes.” Statements like this should be spread out across your resume, with 1 to 2 examples included in your intro summary as well.

The toughest part in demonstrating your qualifications through numbers is gathering the data. It is well worth it, though; as I’ve met hiring managers who won’t even consider a candidate for an opening if metrics aren’t included in his or her resume.

Numbers naturally distinguish, and this is your goal, to stand above the crowd during the job search. When you include measurable accomplishments in your resume, you are demonstrating that you are proven performer – because numbers don’t lie.

Like a Fine Wine, People Get Better with Age

2010-06-10T00:23:30-04:00

This saying is certainly true for life in general, but when it comes to your resume it's best to not age yourself. The reality is that age discrimination still exists. An act of age discrimination won't rear its ugly head during an interview unless the employer is seeking a law suit. These days, age discrimination takes place during the resume review process, behind closed doors, and where it can't be proved. Most times it happens inadvertently without any malice, but it does occur.

When reading a resume, a hiring manager has a number of factors to consider - the company's bottom-line being one of the most important ones. Bringing in a seasoned person means hiring someone who is experienced, and this is a good thing. However, a person with a long history of experience can be perceived as being "set in their own ways" without much room for flexibility. Of most concern to employers is the fact that hiring a veteran in any field will be more costly due to higher salary requirements.

Here is how you know that your resume is aging you. If it lists jobs that took place in the 1980s, then you are a candidate for age discrimination. If you have in your resume that you graduated in 1976, even if it's a prestigious school, then you are definitely going to be viewed as "over-seasoned."

Battling the potential for age discrimination during the resume review phase is as simple as taking out the experiences that go beyond 15 year mark from your resume. If you are in a field where technology is a core competency in your role, like an IT professional, then it is useful to not exceed the 10 to 12 year mark because decade old technology is most likely obsolete in today's business-driven world.

There are occasions where putting experiences past the 15 year mark may be beneficial, especially for C-level executives, but this is rare. When this is the case, consider adding these relevant experiences to your resume without dates.

You are getting better with age, but when writing your resume or working with a professional resume writer think about the song (and this will age me for sure), "What Have You Done for Me Lately," the 1986 single from Janet Jackson. The title of the song is right on point when it comes to determining how far back you should go in your resume. In other words, what are your recent accomplishments and experiences that are relevant and attractive to a potential employer? What have you done in the past several years that you can do for your new employer tomorrow?

Answers to these questions will determine the effectiveness of your resume and freshness of your qualifications, while positioning you as a candidate ready to deliver results.

Selling A Sales Resume

2010-05-27T00:20:27-04:00

I have written tons of sales resumes in my career, and most times I find that sales professionals know what will impress hiring managers; they just do not know how to write it. This is not indicative of their writing skills, they are just used to selling a product or service using their verbal communication talents, not marketing their career qualifications using their writing skills.

Many mid-level and senior sales professionals and managers have not had to worry about their resumes in years because it is common to get jobs in the sales field through networking.

As a result, most sales resumes which come across my desk overuse metrics because numbers is the lifeblood of sales. Most sales resumes include lots of numbers which usually come in the form of percentages and dollar signs, like the following bullets:

Sales in excess of $180 million.
Quota surpassed by 200%.
Winner of 3 major sales contests in 3 months.

Impressive results, but it does not say much about the candidate from a personality perspective. It is true that showing this information is optimally important, especially for sales resumes, but hiring managers seeking their next sales guy/gal want to know a little bit more.

After reading those bullets a hiring manager will ask, "how did you do this?" or even "who did you sell to?" If a resume can answer these and other questions right away, then the chances of landing an interview greatly improve. Taking the time to explain the story behind metrics shows that you are proud of your work process and sales style. This is critical information hiring managers want to know anyway.

The reality is that most sales resumes have metrics, so they will not necessarily distinguish you from other candidates. In fact, your achievements may be less impressive than that of your competition. The key is that not all sales professionals seeking a new job take the time to describe how one arrived at those metrics. Explaining the HOW and WHY of an accomplishment gives the hiring manager the opportunity to know you better and warms up the lead; you being the lead.

So dig a little into your career past. Think about what you did to arrive at those numerical-based achievements presented in your resume, and write them down. Think about who you interacted with (C-Level Managers, Physicians, etc.), and what it meant to the bottom-line.

Jotting this information down is a critical step in the resume writing process. The next, much tougher step will be to present all this data briefly, accurately, and in compelling fashion so that your resume engages the reader.

This is where we (ResumeLance) can come into the process; to create a high-impact, strongly worded resume on your behalf.

Thank You Letter = Common Courtesy

2010-05-25T21:06:41-04:00

It seems that everybody is in a rush today, but common courtesy will still take you everywhere if you just spend a moment to show gratitude. Like when someone opens a door for you, say "thank you." After a job interview send a thank you letter. It will certainly help to distinguish you from other candidates.

The thank you letter should provide a few highlights of what was discussed during your interview and a reminder of why you are the right candidate for the job. Does this mean that for every interview, you need to write a letter from scratch? No.

We are living in a high speed world so your resume materials need to be streamlined. This way, you can apply for as many jobs as possible, while still having the ability to customize quickly.

Similar to a marketing campaign, all of your materials need to focus on a central message. When an employer calls you to set up an interview, it's because they are most likely interested in talking about the points you highlighted as important in your resume, so your thank you letter should follow the same path and cover those points as well.

It's an extra step, but a necessary one. Sending a thank you letter by snail mail and a thank you note by email will further distinguish you from your competition - other candidates applying for the same job.